Yukon
Chinook and chum salmon have experienced precipitous declines in recent years
Canadian-origin Yukon salmon are the longest migrating salmon in the world, some travelling over 3,000 kilometres between the ocean and their spawning grounds. Despite its far northern location, the Yukon is warming three times faster than the global average†, dramatically altering freshwater habitat for salmon and challenging their survival.
Both spawner and total abundances are well-below the long-term average for Chinook and chum salmon. Chinook have been steadily declining since the 1980s, with more significant year-over-year reductions in total abundance since 2015. In an effort to help recovery, the Canadian federal government and State of Alaska have also recently placed a moratorium on all fishing of Chinook in the Yukon River for at least seven years†. Returns of chum salmon have recently plummeted to historic lows, causing fisheries closures along the Yukon River in 2022 and 2023†.
Coho salmon are also found in the Yukon, however their Canadian distribution is limited to the Porcupine River and they are not found in the Canadian portion of the Yukon River mainstem. Coho are not routinely monitored in the Yukon, making it impossible to assess their status.
STATE OF SALMON - YUKON
OUR APPROACH
There are different ways to measure the state of salmon, and each approach tells us something unique about how salmon are doing.
CURRENT STATE is the spawner or total abundance over the most recent generation as a per cent anomaly from the long-term average and provides information on how abundant salmon are now relative to past years.
TRENDS measure the direction of change, either over the short-term (most recent three generations) or long-term (all available years). This is complementary information to the current state, and a species that has a declining trend may be a conservation concern even if the current status is above average.
Click on a species for an interpretation of the current state and trends.
Arrows indicate if the trend in abundance is increasing or decreasing
A horizontal line indicates if the trend in abundance is stable
A question mark indicates an unknown current state or trend due to a lack of readily accessible data
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How to Interpret this Graph
Each fish above shows the per cent anomaly of current spawner or total abundance over the most recent generation compared to the long-term average (horizontal line) for each region and species.
Interested in more learning more? Check out the Pacific Salmon Explorer for a data-driven look at Pacific salmon Conservation Units and their habitats within each region.
For more details on our assessment approach, view our Methods.
Well-above long-term average. No conservation concern.
Above long-term average. Current outlook is good.
At or near long-term average. Precaution is warranted.
Below long-term average. Current outlook is poor.
Well-below long-term average. Significant conservation concern.
Unknown current state due to a lack of readily accessible data.
REGION PROFILE
YUKON
Conservation Units are irreplaceable groups of salmon that have unique genetic and life-history traits. Maintaining multiple Conservation Units within a region strengthens the resilience of the species as a whole and helps it withstand and adapt to changing conditions. The number of Conservation Units provides a good indication of the salmon biodiversity in the region.
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Major Salmon-Bearing Rivers
The Yukon River flows over 3,300 kilometres from its headwaters in northwestern British Columbia, through the Yukon Territory, and into Alaska before emptying into the Bearing Sea.
The Yukon River watershed is home to a rugged landscape and pristine wilderness, dominated by glaciers, mountains, plateaus, and river valleys. Climate change is dramatically altering the landscape, melting glaciers, rerouting rivers, increasing stream temperatures, and significantly impacting the locations and quality of salmon habitats. In addition, climate change is causing warmer water in the Bering Sea, which has led to massive changes in the marine ecosystem where juvenile Yukon salmon mature†.
Yukon Chinook have evolved to be some of the largest and oldest salmon in the world, allowing them to survive the harsh northern environment and epic migrations. Yukon Chinook can weigh up to 45 kilograms and live as long as eight years. However, returning Yukon Chinook are now smaller and younger (typically six years old) as a result of decades of selective fisheries that have preferentially harvested larger and older fish†. Since younger, smaller females typically produce fewer and smaller eggs, the reproductive potential of female Yukon Chinook has declined by an estimated 24-35 per cent since the 1970s†.
